Just Like Red Wine
by Phoenix Draconis
Summary: Harry hunts for blood...but not for himself. But why?


Something bad happened to Ron and now Harry and the others are trying to help him.

I don't own these characters. Duh.

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He looked over at his friend and sighed. Ron Weasley was busily chopping tomatoes at the kitchen counter. Harry Potter threw his quill down and stood up.

"Uh . . . Ron?" Harry said tentatively.

"_What?_" Ron growled as he fiercely threw the pieces of tomato into what looked like a normal Muggle blender. "_WHAT?_"

"Nothing." Harry muttered.

There was a soft knock at the kitchen door. Harry quickly ran to answer it so it wouldn't irritate Ron.

"Oh, hey Hermione." Harry murmured.

"Hi Harry." Hermione Granger whispered. "Uh . . . how is he?"

"Really irritable today." Harry answered. "He's hungry and so far we can't find a mixture that will take the place of human blood."

"Well, I brought the . . . ugh, cows' blood." Hermione looked disgusted. "And the brandy. But I couldn't find . . . that last thing you asked for."

"The brains?" Harry asked.

Hermione turned green but nodded.

"T-The . . . butchers . . . d-didn't have any." She gulped. "I-I . . . went . . . to f-five of them."

"Thanks for trying." Harry took the bags from her. "Do you want me to tell him anything?"

Hermione shook her head.

"He really does miss you." Harry said. He told her this everyday. "Ron, just . . . he's afraid he'll hurt you if you're too close."

"I know." She nodded. She gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "See you tomorrow Harry."

"Bye." Harry shut the door.

"Was that Mione?" Ron grabbed the bags out of Harry's hands. He pulled a jar full of blood out of one of the bags and poured a bit into the blender. "What did _she_ want?"

"She brings the blood." Harry said. He added some brandy to the mixture, put the lid on and started the blender.

When it stopped, Ron grabbed the glass mixing cup and drank down the blood mixture. He wiped his mouth and sat down at the table. Harry looked at him inquisitively. Ron shrugged and shook his head.

"Not enough sustenance." He said. "But it'll do until you come up with another recipe."

"It's nearly dawn." Harry picked up the mixing glass and put it in the sink. "Since we still don't know how the sun effects you, you should go to bed."

"Yeah." Ron nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"Go talk to Fred and George." Harry answered. "And then go talk to Neville. He mentioned some magical plants that might help."

"You're not going to work again?" Ron's stomach growled.

"Kingsley made me take a few days off." Harry explained. "So I am."

"It's been nearly three weeks." Ron said.

"They understood." Harry began washing the dishes.

"Where are we getting money?" Ron asked. "I'm not working anymore. You aren't working right now. What if we run out of money? I hate being poor."

"I know." Harry answered patiently. "But we aren't going to run out of money anytime soon."

"Okay." Ron stood up. "I'm going to go to sleep now. Is Ginny coming over today?"

"Maybe." Harry shrugged.

"She still loves you, you know." Ron said.

"I know." Harry murmured. "And Hermione still loves you."

"I can't love her back." Ron said. "I could hurt her."

Harry didn't say anything.

"See you this afternoon." Ron said.

Harry just nodded.

"Hey Harry."

"Hey Harry."

Harry nodded at Ron's twin brothers.

"You look terrible." George said.

Harry nodded.

"The couch is all made up." Fred pointed towards the back. "At least sleep for more than two hours."

"Sunset isn't until nearly eight-thirty." George continued. "You can sleep for at least six."

Harry looked thoughtful.

"Alright." He relented. "But don't let me sleep later then noon. Got it?"

"Yes." The twins said in unison. "Go to sleep."

Harry reluctantly made his way to the tiny hidden staircase that led to the twins' apartment above their shop.

Harry woke up with a start a few hours later. He looked around to see what woke him up and spotted red hair disappearing down the stairs. Harry jumped up and quickly followed.

"Ginny!" he called.

Ginny stopped and turned around on the step she was standing on.

"Hey Harry." She murmured. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I had to get something from their room. I was just tiptoeing out when I stepped on that stupid creaky board. Sorry."

"It's okay." Harry said. "I needed to wake up anyway. Um . . . I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Ginny said. "How have you been?"

"Tired." Harry shrugged. "I've been trying to find a way to replace human blood for Ron. So far I haven't found one. I've been visiting Fred and George for the last week to sleep and see if they have a new mixture for me to try."

"Well they do." Ginny said. "Come downstairs. George said this one is a little more complicated."

Harry nodded and followed Ginny into the back room of the joke shop.

"Hey." George greeted Harry and Ginny. "The shop has slowed down a little. Come on Harry. I need to show you this."

Harry followed George to a tiny 'kitchen' in the back room.

"So . . ." Harry frowned an hour or so later. "Instead of brandy, I'm using red wine . . . and adding tomato paste along with the fresh tomatoes. Plus the cows' blood."

"And the brains." George nodded. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "I was talking to this acquaintance of mine and Fred's the other day. She was telling me to try monkey blood by itself because it's so close to human."

"Really?" Harry said curiously.

"Fred and I put out feelers but so far all we've heard is that it's very hard to get a hold of monkey blood." He said. "But that friend said that in the end, it would probably be easier to find him a . . . mm, what did she call it? A . . . blood-mate."

"A blood-mate?" Harry frowned.

"It's a person who's willing to let the vampire drink from them." George explained. "And they _only_ drink from them. Either for life or temporarily until the vampire finds a permanent blood-mate or just drinks from . . . well everyone."

"Hmm . . ." Harry said thoughtfully. "Well, I'll go talk to Kingsley and ask him about it. But . . . I'm pretty sure that he and I will have to talk to your acquaintance. I've never heard of a blood-mate before."

"I hadn't either." George nodded. He picked up a few jars and handed them to Harry. "Here you are. I've pre-made a few jars for his . . . ahem . . . breakfast."

"Thanks." Harry nodded. He shrank the jars down and carefully placed them in a backpack. "Well, I'm going to drop these off at the house and then I'm going to the office."

"I'll come with you." Ginny said. "Then I can be there when he wakes up."

Harry nodded in agreement.

When they arrived at the house Harry pointed to Ron's bedroom. Ginny nodded and walked in. When she walked into the kitchen a few minutes later she looked at Harry curiously.

"He sleeps in a bed?" she asked. "Don't vampires usually sleep in coffins?"

"Sometimes." Harry shrugged. He nodded towards a metal ring that lay on the floor. "After he got his fangs . . . he figured that he would be needing a coffin. So Hermione and I secretly bought him one. He lay in it the first morning we got it home and freaked out. Now he sleeps in his bed and the coffin lives in the basement."

"Hermione never told us that." Ginny frowned.

"Ron didn't want any of you to know that he'd bought a coffin." Harry explained. "So he swore us to secrecy."

"That's just like him." Ginny sat down at the kitchen table. "And Mom was worried about him sleeping in a coffin. Dad told her it was only natural."

"Not really." Harry replied. "It's a common misconception. Gredin Ansem, our vampire liaison, said that one of the richest vampires in the world sleeps in a bed and insists on sleeping on the finest silk sheets every night. Even when he goes for visits."

"Why can't you ask him or one of the vampires in custody how to replace human blood?" Ginny asked.

"No one in the office except Tonks and Kingsley knows Ron was _attacked,_ let alone turned into a vampire." Harry explained. "Your dad asked for it to be that way. So we can't ask too many questions for fear of arousing suspicion."

"Oh." Ginny said. "So that's why Fred and George are talking to that friend of theirs? That girl they've been working with and coming up with recipes with?"

"Yeah, I guess." Harry answered. "I didn't know they were working with her to get recipes."

"I haven't heard much about her." Ginny said. "But I do know that she's an American. I think she did a specific study of vampires. She's apparently traveled around visiting foreign vampires and things. But I still don't know who she is."

"Hmm . . ." Harry said thoughtfully. "Well . . . those recipes have been keeping Ron from turning feral. As long as she's helping it's okay."

Ginny nodded.

"I need to get to the office." Harry said. "I'll be back by the time he wakes up."

"Don't worry about it." Ginny shrugged.

Harry nodded and then Disapparated.

"Harry!" Kingsley Shacklebolt said in surprise as Harry walked into Auror headquarters. "I thought I told you to take some time. That you were still getting paid."

"I need to help him more than I have been." Harry said. "Plus . . . I need to talk to you about a 'friend' of Fred and George's . . . and I need to talk to Gredin."

"Okay." Kingsley agreed. "Hermione came in earlier too. Both of you seem very restless."

Harry nodded.

"Come to my office." Kingsley beckoned.

"Have you ever heard of a blood-mate?" Harry asked as soon as Kingsley shut the door.

Kingsley looked thoughtful.

"Yeah." He nodded slowly. "Gredin mentioned something about being a temporary blood-mate at one time to gain the trust of a small band of vampires living somewhere . . . well, I don't believe he's ever told me where."

"Well, Fred and George's friend told them about them." Harry said. "She mentioned it as a solution to Ron's, um, problem."

"Well, it's an excellent suggestion." Kingsley nodded. "But I'd only use it as a last resort."

"I agree." Harry said.

"Who is this friend?" Kingsley asked.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "But Ginny said she's an American and supposedly did a specific study of vampires, and even traveled around to visit foreign vampires."

"Hmm . . ." Kingsley said thoughtfully. "Well, Gredin is on assignment for the next week or so. Talking to him will have to wait."

"Okay." Harry stood up. "Well, I have to go. I have to go visit some Muggle butchers to find cow brains."

"Cow brains?" Kingsley looked disgusted.

"The friend used it in a recipe for human blood replacement." Harry explained. "But Hermione couldn't get a hold of any."

"Oh." Kingsley nodded. He made a face. "Good luck finding some."

"Gee, thanks." Harry said sarcastically.

He walked out of the room and ran straight into Hermione.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "I was coming over to the house after I talked to Kingsley."

"What were you going to talk to him about?" Harry asked.

"I wanted to talk to Gredin." She answered. "About possible blood substitutes."

"Gredin isn't back until next week." Harry shrugged. "I needed to talk to him too."

"About what?"

"A few things Fred and George told me about." Harry said. "And a friend of theirs."

"Oh." Hermione said. "Did you get any new recipes?"

Harry nodded.

"But I definitely need cow brains now." Harry said. "So I'm off to Muggle butchers to see if they have any."

"I'll come with you if that's okay." Hermione said.

"Sure." Harry nodded.

"You don't need to rush back?" she asked as they took the long way to Muggle London. "What if Ron wakes up and you're not home?"

Harry frowned.

"You make it sound like Ron and I are married or lovers or something." He scowled. "He's the one who moved into my house and all. I'm 'taking care of him' because he's my best friend."

"Don't get so defensive." Hermione soothed. "I know. And everyone appreciates that you took him in. Not many would have."

Harry sighed.

"Sorry." He muttered. "I'm just tired."

"You need to sleep." Hermione said. "How many hours have you been sleeping? Like two?"

"Sometimes." Harry nodded. "Today the twins forced me to sleep for longer."

"That's good." Hermione said. "Maybe you should let Ginny stay over so you can get some rest. I'm sure she won't mind. I'd do it but I know Ron won't let me. And besides, she wishes she could help in some way. Okay?"

Harry looked thoughtful. He finally shrugged.

"I'll talk to her when we get to the house." Hermione patted his arm. She pointed to a butcher shop near the phone booth that led to the Ministry. "Let's try there first."

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Well, there it is. Yay! I hope you like it. Please review! Thanx!


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